Defense industry group upset ‘fiscal cliff’ wasn’t debated

“Both campaigns have public positions on these issues — this
debate was the perfect opportunity to contrast the two positions and offer the
American people a choice,” she said. “Regardless of the winner in November’s
election, if sequestration isn’t fixed, American citizens will be on the losing
end of this poorly conceived idea.”

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The trade group has led a yearlong campaign to try and stop
sequestration cuts, which would total $1 trillion over the next decade,
including a $500 reduction in Pentagon budgets.

But there has been little movement over fixing the
across-the-board cuts in Congress, despite both parties supporting doing away
with them.

Sequestration has been wrapped up in the larger fight over
taxes and deficit reduction, where the two sides face deep political disagreements.

The cuts take effect Jan. 2, while the Bush tax rates expire
on Jan. 1, intertwining the two issues during the lame-duck session that will
occur after the election.